The number of detainees who are infected with the Human Immune Virus (HIV), Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and other communicable diseases has increased dramatically. The transportation of detainees, such as mentally ill patients, persons under arrest and prisoners, invariably results in moments of high stress, duress and emotion. During these moments, the detainee may resist the conveying personnel, and thus, become injured to the extent that the detainee bleeds from around the mouth and/or nose. In addition, the detainee may intentionally or accidently issue body fluids, such as spit or vomit, onto the conveying personnel while resisting against efforts to restrain the detainee. In view of the associated health and safety risks, personnel who convey these detainees must take care to avoid contact with the detainee's blood and body fluids.
Protective head coverings, known as transport hoods, have long been utilized to protect conveying personnel as well as to protect the detainee from the surrounding environment. Prior transport hoods are made of a breathable fabric material and are provided with one or more fairly small openings adjacent the eyes of the detainee to allow the detainee an opportunity to see. Conveying personnel are required to take additional time to orient the openings in the transport hood with the eyes of the detainee. The additional time that the conveying personnel are in close proximity to the detainee increases the risk that the conveying personnel may come in contact with the blood and/or body fluids of the detainee. Further, oftentimes the openings do not remain aligned with the eyes of the detainee. In such instances the transport hood restricts the vision of the detainee and prevents the conveying personnel from observing the eyes of the detainee from every angle.
A protective head covering is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,186,703 to Sullivan. Sullivan discloses a protective head covering, or hood, for use by an operator of a baling press or threshing machine. The Sullivan hood shields the head, eyes, nose, mouth and neck of the operator from dust and small particles of debris, such as straw. However, the Sullivan hood includes a pair of discrete openings that must be properly oriented adjacent the eyes of the operator. Furthermore, the Sullivan hood is not intended to prevent bacteria, blood and body fluids of the operator from being projected into the surrounding environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,408 to Singer discloses a protective head covering for use as a surgical mask and hood. The Singer mask and hood blocks the passage of bacteria from the wearer's head into the surrounding environment and simultaneously protects the wearer from bacteria, blood and body fluids issued by a patient. However, the Singer mask and hood likewise includes a discrete opening that must be oriented with the eyes of the wearer. Furthermore, the Singer mask does not permit the eyes of the wearer to be observed from every angle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,262 to Cominsky discloses a transport hood for protecting conveying personnel from exposure to the body fluids of a detainee. The transport hood disclosed by the Cominsky '262 patent includes a top portion and a bottom portion each constructed of a different material. The top portion is made of an open mesh material, and thus, is substantially transparent. The bottom portion is made of a breathable plastic or fabric cloth which is impervious to blood and body fluids issued by the detainee. The top portion of the transport hood covers the head of the detainee to just below the eyes, while the bottom portion covers the head of the detainee from just below the eyes to just below the chin. A first circumferential length of elastic joins the top portion to the bottom portion to gather the top portion and the bottom portion together just below the eyes of the detainee, and to hold the transport hood securely on the head of the detainee. An optional second circumferential length of elastic may be provided on the lowermost edge of the bottom portion to secure the transport hood about the neck of the detainee.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,203 to Cominsky discloses a cinching grommet for use with the transport hood of the Cominsky '262 patent. The cinching grommet disclosed by the Cominsky '203 patent consists of a thin disk made of a flexible plastic material having at least one opening formed therethrough for receiving an excess amount of the open mesh material of the top portion of the transport hood. The cinching grommet grasps and secures the excess material of the top portion so that the transport hood can be properly positioned on the head of the detainee with the lowermost edge of the top portion and the uppermost edge of the bottom portion gathered together just below the eyes of the detainee.
The transport hood taught by the aforementioned Cominsky '262 and '203 patents has been well received by law enforcement agencies and others as being effective for protecting conveying personnel from exposure to the blood and body fluids of a detainee. In certain instances, however, the bottom portion of the transport hood can cause discomfort to the detainee since the breathable fabric material is impervious to blood and body fluids issued by the detainee. In particular, if the transport hood is improperly used or misused, blood, spit and/or vomit issued from the detainee may accumulate and be retained within the bottom portion of the transport hood. If a substantial amount of blood, spit or vomit accumulates and is retained within the bottom portion of the transport hood the detainee could experience difficulty breathing and potentially be rendered unconscious due to oxygen deprivation (hypoxia). Unless conveying personnel properly position and secure the transport hood on the head of the detainee, and thereafter adequately monitor the detainee, blood and/or body fluids issued from the detainee could accumulate within the bottom portion of the transport hood and cause the detainee to potentially suffer a hypoxic brain injury or cardiac arrest.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,973,170 to Cominsky discloses a transport hood for protecting conveying personnel from the body fluids of a detainee that addresses the aforementioned concern. Namely, that the bottom portion made of a breathable fabric material entirely impervious to the blood and body fluids of a detainee may cause discomfort or potential injury as a result of breathing difficulty. The Cominsky '170 patent instead discloses a transport hood having a top portion and a bottom portion that are both made of an open mesh material with the top portion and the bottom portion being joined together and gathered just below the eyes of the detainee by a first circumferential length of elastic. A skirt made of a breathable material that is impervious to the blood and body fluids of the detainee is attached to the first length of elastic. The skirt hangs loosely and extends downwardly from the first length of elastic such that any blood or body fluids issued by the detainee will pass through the open mesh material of the bottom portion, but will not accumulate and be retained within the skirt.
The construction of the transport hood disclosed by Cominsky '170 effectively alleviates the potential concern of affixation of the detainee. In some instances and under certain circumstances, however, the skirt hanging loosely and being attached only to the first length of elastic may be considered by some conveying personnel to create a separate concern. Furthermore, the additional material of the skirt and the added step of attaching the skirt to the first length of elastic unnecessarily increase the material, manufacturing and assembly cost of the transport hood.
As is now apparent, an improved transport hood for protecting conveying personnel from the blood and body fluids of a detainee is needed that not only prevents blood and body fluids issued by the detainee from being spread into the surrounding environment, but also protects the detainee from discomfort and potential breathing difficulty that could result from blood and body fluids that accumulate and are retained within the bottom portion of the transport hood. The present invention, as described herein, provides an improved transport hood that protects conveying personnel from the blood and body fluids of a detainee and avoids discomfort to the detainee and possible breathing difficulty caused by blood or body fluids that may accumulate and be retained within the bottom portion of the transport hood.